Which bibs?
 

I am fresh into my first pair of shorts and already wish I got bibs. I tried on a pair of PI's today and they were nice, but I expected a little nicer. Any suggestions? They will need to hold up and be fair priced. I have no issues paying $300 if they will last for a few years, but if 2 pair of $150 bib will get me further, I am all for it.

I will be wearing them 2 times a day 5 days a week and another weekend day or two, and buying a few pair.

The Castellis look like a front runner, but I am totally new to this, so who knows.

Since you're new to bibs I'd suggest the Performance bibs like the Elite which is only $60 right now. I still ride mine once in awhile but favor the Assos FI.Mille S5. GL

What does being new to them have to do with anything?

Bibs are hit and miss--you have to learn what you like by paying for it.

However, a lot of people, including myself, really like the Assos line of products. Even the lowest end Assos bib, the S5 Uno, is better than the top-line of many other manufacturers in terms of fit, construction, durability, etc.

My team ordered the Louis Garneau "Power Bib Pro" or something like that this year. Really, really happy with them. Kind of similar to the Catelli Bodypaints, but they have a couple of seams.

Ahh, ok, makes more sense. Well, the seams dont bother me so much, but in shorts I have found I do prefer the thicker feeling material.

Correction - It is the Power Bib, as seen here: http://www.louisgarneau-custom.com/p...yle_no=1E58119

Not sure which production line this compares to, since it only seems to be offered for custom order. Still, a very nice bib. I've worn the Castelli Bodypaint, and the LGs feel "thicker" if that helps at all. Also, the bib straps on the Castellis were too short for my torso, whereas the LGs fit me perfectly. Differences in Italian and French styling? lol

I don't like the PI anything anymore after having better bibs. I'd try anything by capo, castelli, sugoi, and assos. I like them for different reasons. You can search in bonktown.com for some good deals.

I started on PI shorts and refused to spend more than $60 on shorts/bibs before...then I was enlightened. I have the following and they're all $85 to $220.

Assos mille s5 - very comfortable (when I fit in them) for long distances, but I lost some weight and now they are too big and have gotten uncomfortable. I wish I didn't spend as much on these early on to riding. by far the most comfortable, but also the most expensive...although I don't like wearing them anymore due to the fitment. It's a large and am willing to sell them.

Castelli podium - heavily discounted premium bib. The fit is a little weird as the straps near the waist start toward the side. If you have a gut it will not be supported, but I like these a lot. No 'rubber' on the inside of the leg is nice. The material is lightweight and doesn't retain much moisture.

Castelli presto - great all-around cheaper bib. More color options, good for 3-4 hours. Nothing great, but nothing bad to say either. The cammy is thicker than most, but I don't mind.

Capo modena - very lightweight and great for hot days. The material is smooth, but the cammy is thin. It hasn't been a problem at all and I'm surprised with how comfortable this bib is considering how thin the cammy is.

Sugoi RS - these are my team's kit bibs. I spend a lot of time in these and I'm happy with them most of the time. The cammy is more similar to castelli in thickness, but appears to hold together a bit more over time. The material is nice and lightweight and doesn't hold on to much moisture.

Bibs I have that I like a lot:
- Castelli VELOCISSIMO
- Specialized COMP and RBX models, especially the RBX

Giordana bibs are ok, but the front cut is a little low for my liking. But to each their own.

Sugoi RS bibs are excellent.

Agreed. Of course, they also cost more than the top-of-the-line of many other manufacturers. Still, I love my two pairs (one FI.uno, one FI.mille)

Take a look at Voler. I like their Ion SL pad

+1

I like the Sugoi RS. I'm really liking my Giordana. They are the mellow Johnny branded stuff. For the price they are soft, fit good and the chamois is decent. My next pair will either be Assos Uno or the Garneau's.

Interesting... May have to give them a shot...

I grabbed two of these (from Hammer Nutrition sale) a few years ago for about 50-60 USD. I've done back to back centuries and regularly do metric centuries in them. Still using them - still look good - and very comfy. I'll never wear another set of bike shorts - bibs only for me now.

A big thumbs up!

ive been watching those castellis on bonktown too. i only have one bid and i made the mistake of getting a gel chamois, not a big fan of that and they only cover mid thigh, i would like the shorts to be a little longer and the front cut to drop lower making it easier to pee from. are those castellis pretty short? ive never seen pics of them on a human.

Assos fanboi here. Unos are awesome.

Honestly, a few of the racers I know scoop up pro team kits for next to nothing and train in them. 150-160 bucks for a full kit is damn good and they seem to be of nice quality.

If you like the Volers and don't mind the Hammer ads, then give the (Hammer) Bergamo's a shot. I like them just as much as any Assos bib, and for a fraction of the cost.

hth
zac

My order or preference Verge Race>Garneau Power>Castelli Endurance>Craft Elite...............>Pearl Izumi (but have not tried their new race series stuff)

ill agree my favorite bibs are Castelli followed closely by specialized (surprisingly).

the podium collection by Castelli comes up on bonktown all the time for a really good price. i really like the leg gripper band on the castelli bibs and the chamois is also nice.
http://www.cleansnipe.com/cheap-bike...short-mens.htm

the new BG comp bibs by specialzed are surprisingly well made and the material feels very good. they are thicker material wise than the castelli and i seen that was something you said you liked.
http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/...jsp?spid=56762

Maybe I'm the only one who likes Santini, but they have served me well. Bonktown has them on sale from time to time.

I actually loved Santini bibs, but they all had issues with longevity and specifically how quickly they wore thin in certain areas. Maybe they've fixed that now, but had 2 kits where it happened with both.

I've tried various manufacturers as well but in my opinion it all comes down to your body type and what feels best as others have mentioned. When you get more involved in accumulating bib shorts, you will soon find some are better used in different weather. As it will get colder, you may also want to consider getting a pair of bib knickers as well.

Campagnolo: Great fit and material, nice build and follows same high quality they put out in their hardware.

Voler: One of my favorites, has more venting properting and lighter in weight in comparison to all other bike wear I've owned. I will take this on any weekend ride other than Assos. And they are not so pricy either amongst competition.

Assos: Top of the line, the price speaks for itself.

Castelli: Nice thick pads but overtime, you can see it age - color fades and logos start to peel off from washing.

Overall, I like getting bibs that have mesh material for the suspenders as you can always layer on top of it. Uou can never remove thicker material when it's hot and sunny if you are weighing economical factors.

Kim answered it. I was just trying to get you in cheap. My Assos Milles cost $180 which is a pretty big investment but the comfort is very good. GL with whatever you try.

Both answers work, I just wanted to make sure advice wasn't held back on account of price. I understand the "pay to play" way most hobbies work, but it sounds like I will need to find a shop that has some of these in stock.

The Sugoi RS really stand out at this point, but some of the cheaper ones seem like a good way to get 3-4 pair before buying one good pair.

I guess the next obvious question, how many pairs do people use? I am riding AM/PM 4-5 days a week and a weekend day or two.

i would at least want 4 or 5 pair of bibs. you can get by with less im sure but this seems to be a good # for me. that way im not always washing bibs.